Patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in Ethiopia
BackgroundPremature death of livestock is a problem in all ruminant production systems. While the number of premature ruminant deaths in a country is a reasonable indicator for the nation's health, few data sources exist in a country like Ethiopia that can be used to generate valid estimates. T...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.986739/full |
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| author | Giles T. Innocent Ciara Vance David A. Ewing Iain J. McKendrick Solomon Hailemariam Veronica R. Nwankpa Fiona K. Allan Christian Schnier Andrew R. Peters |
| author_facet | Giles T. Innocent Ciara Vance David A. Ewing Iain J. McKendrick Solomon Hailemariam Veronica R. Nwankpa Fiona K. Allan Christian Schnier Andrew R. Peters |
| author_sort | Giles T. Innocent |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundPremature death of livestock is a problem in all ruminant production systems. While the number of premature ruminant deaths in a country is a reasonable indicator for the nation's health, few data sources exist in a country like Ethiopia that can be used to generate valid estimates. The present study aimed to establish if three different data sets, each with imperfect information on ruminant mortality, including abortions, could be combined into improved estimates of nationwide mortality in Ethiopia.MethodsWe combined information from a recent survey of ruminant mortality with information from the Living Standards Measurement Study and the Disease Outbreak and Vaccination Reporting dataset. Generalized linear mixed and hurdle models were used for data analysis, with results summarized using predicted outcomes.ResultsAnalyses indicated that most herds experienced zero mortality and reproductive losses, with rare occasions of larger losses. Diseases causing deaths varied greatly both geographically and over time. There was little agreement between the different datasets. While the models aid the understanding of patterns of mortality and reproductive losses, the degree of variation observed limited the predictive scope.ConclusionsThe models revealed some insight into why mortality rates are variable over time and are therefore less useful in measuring production or health status, and it is suggested that alternative measures of productivity, such as number of offspring raised to 1 year old per dam, would be more stable over time and likely more indicative. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:39:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4932e34b8d07450bbd072a45df884c11 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-1769 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:39:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Veterinary Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4932e34b8d07450bbd072a45df884c112022-12-22T04:15:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Veterinary Science2297-17692022-11-01910.3389/fvets.2022.986739986739Patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in EthiopiaGiles T. Innocent0Ciara Vance1David A. Ewing2Iain J. McKendrick3Solomon Hailemariam4Veronica R. Nwankpa5Fiona K. Allan6Christian Schnier7Andrew R. Peters8Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS), Edinburgh, United KingdomCentre for Supporting Evidence Based Interventions-Livestock, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United KingdomBiomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS), Edinburgh, United KingdomBiomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS), Edinburgh, United KingdomPrivate Consultant, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCentre for Supporting Evidence Based Interventions-Livestock, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United KingdomCentre for Supporting Evidence Based Interventions-Livestock, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United KingdomCentre for Supporting Evidence Based Interventions-Livestock, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, United KingdomBackgroundPremature death of livestock is a problem in all ruminant production systems. While the number of premature ruminant deaths in a country is a reasonable indicator for the nation's health, few data sources exist in a country like Ethiopia that can be used to generate valid estimates. The present study aimed to establish if three different data sets, each with imperfect information on ruminant mortality, including abortions, could be combined into improved estimates of nationwide mortality in Ethiopia.MethodsWe combined information from a recent survey of ruminant mortality with information from the Living Standards Measurement Study and the Disease Outbreak and Vaccination Reporting dataset. Generalized linear mixed and hurdle models were used for data analysis, with results summarized using predicted outcomes.ResultsAnalyses indicated that most herds experienced zero mortality and reproductive losses, with rare occasions of larger losses. Diseases causing deaths varied greatly both geographically and over time. There was little agreement between the different datasets. While the models aid the understanding of patterns of mortality and reproductive losses, the degree of variation observed limited the predictive scope.ConclusionsThe models revealed some insight into why mortality rates are variable over time and are therefore less useful in measuring production or health status, and it is suggested that alternative measures of productivity, such as number of offspring raised to 1 year old per dam, would be more stable over time and likely more indicative.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.986739/fullEthiopiaruminantcattlesheepgoatmortality |
| spellingShingle | Giles T. Innocent Ciara Vance David A. Ewing Iain J. McKendrick Solomon Hailemariam Veronica R. Nwankpa Fiona K. Allan Christian Schnier Andrew R. Peters Patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in Ethiopia Frontiers in Veterinary Science Ethiopia ruminant cattle sheep goat mortality |
| title | Patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in Ethiopia |
| title_full | Patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in Ethiopia |
| title_short | Patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in Ethiopia |
| title_sort | patterns of mortality in domesticated ruminants in ethiopia |
| topic | Ethiopia ruminant cattle sheep goat mortality |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.986739/full |
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